This pregnancy was defiantly one of many first. First time c-section, first time gestational diabetes, first time maternity session, and first time documenting my maternity journey though this blog. It was certainly a pregnancy to remember.
The Good
Scheduled procedure
I did like that I knew before hand when I was going to deliver. This allowed me to get the other kiddos situated at home. But, it also allowed me time to get dolled up for baby’s birthday. That morning I did my hair and make-up before leaving to the hospital.
Short + Sweet
Compared to hours of labor c-sections are short and straight to the point. We arrived at our scheduled time and before I knew it I had baby in my hands. Everything went fairly quickly from the time they admitted me to surgery.
The Bad
The Recovery
C-sections are considered a major surgery and the recovery is about 6 weeks. The recovery was one of the hardest things I’ve had to overcome. Recovery for the first couple of weeks is basically like bed rest. No lifting, no moving, minimal walking, no driving, etc. on top of all the other after-delivery stuff.
I think I have overcome the hardest weeks and the remaining weeks should be downhill from here. At three weeks I have started driving short distances, mainly to drop off and pickup my kiddos from school.
Recovery Must Haves
I could not recommend c-section panties enough. They were especially helpful in the recovery and allowed me to increase mobility each day. I used both the C-Panty and the Belly Bandit C-Secition Panty and loved each for different reasons.
C-Panty
The C-Panty was great for the days immediately after the surgery. It was supportive but not uncomfortable. They have a silicone patch sewn right into the panty which helps heal the scar.
Belly Bandit
The Belly Bandit Panty offers much more support and at first can be uncomfortable especially if you are still swollen BUT don’t let this stop you. The tight compression truly does help with the swelling and speed the recovery due to increased blood to the area.
To help me get used to it I wore this at night with pain medicine for the first few times after I was able to wear it all day. Again, the support is really helpful for mobility.
Comfortable Clothes
Non-constraining clothes like loose fitting dresses and maternity clothes are most comfortable since they don’t put pressure on the area. I continued using maternity clothes and leggings. Jeans were not comfortable for me so I stayed away from those.
